The Return Home: Embracing Change
by joryuu
Summary: The boys of Konoha return home after being away for six years to find that the girls are looking better than ever. Drinks are on the house!
1. Default Chapter

**Title: **The Return Home: Embracing Change

**Author: **joryuu

**Summary:** The boys of Konoha return home after being away for six years to find that the girls are looking better than ever. Drinks are on the house!

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**Chapter 1**

It had been six years since they had seen the lush trees of the Konoha Village. _Only a few more miles now until we reach the town. I wonder if they are expecting us?_ His pace quickened at the thought of seeing all his old friends again. His three other companions matched his stride with the same inner excitement. He reached up and took off the Anbu mask that had been on his head and ran his fingers through his longer blonde hair. Yep, they all had changed during the mission. Naruto looked over at the line of his comrades: Sasuke, Lee, and Shikamaru, all three were staring down the road as they walked. _We've all grown._ His eyes rested on Sasuke, _especially him._

A lot had happened before they left the village. Naruto and Sasuke were selected to become members of the Anbu, and Lee followed a year later. Then the war broke out. Their ally the Country of Earth was under attack by ninjas from the Cloud Village. Earth's Hidden Village of Rock was taken completely by surprise. Almost all of their ninjas were killed and many civilians died as a result. Konoha sent out reinforcements and finally defeated the Cloud's attack. The Country of Earth was left in shambles, and their ninja village was extinguished. The Hokage decided to send a team of Anbu from Konoha over to protect those that survived and to help restore their ninja academy. The four boys were chosen, Shikamaru serving as the Jounin team leader.

"Yo, Shikamaru! Are you excited to see Ino again?" The blonde smiled brightly at him.

"Hai." It had been a long time. She would be twenty now, just like him. He knew she was doing well, as they had corresponded through letters while he was away. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and stared at the road ahead. He imagined her waiting for him just at the edge of town so he could take her in his arms and be alone with her before dealing with the frenzy that would follow their arrival. Every night he had fallen asleep thinking of her. She entered his dreams from time to time, always delivering a sweet kiss to his lips. _It has been a long six years._

He looked over at Naruto. "What about you? Who are you waiting to see?"

"Oh, geez, where to startâ€Well, Iruka-sensei of course, and Konohamaru—he'd be like 14 now—and Kakashi-sensei and Jiraiya-sama—if he's around—and OH YEAH!! SAKURA-CHAN!!!" He sang the last name. The pink haired girl had always held a special place in his heart. "I hope she'll be happy to see me again."

"I'm sure Sakura-san will be happy to see all of us," said the optimistic, fuzzy eye browed figure beside Naruto. "Everyone will be happy to see us again." He thought of Gai-sensei. _I will show you how much I have improved, Gai-sensei, just like you asked me to do._

"Do you think Gaara and Temari will show up?" Naruto asked the group. They had sent a letter inviting the two sand ninjas to stay in Konoha for a while. _It would be nice to see how Gaara is doing; I'm sure he looks upon the world with new eyes now._ Naruto thought back to his life-altering fight with the boy who was once filled with such hatred. _We are your friends now too._

"It's hard to say with those two. That Gaara guy still gives me the creeps," Shikamaru thought of the trademark cold stare that the boy always had on his face.

"Nahâ€they've changed, I'm sure of it," Naruto reassured him. He glanced over at Sasuke who hadn't said a word the last few hours of their trip. _I bet he's thinking about Itachi._ Itachi had found them a year ago while they were in the Rock Village. Sasuke had known he would be coming and prepared to avenge his brother. One morning the three woke up to find Sasuke gone. His fighting gear which had begun to collect dust in the corner of his room was missing as well. Shikamaru had said he overheard several villagers talking of a strange man dressed in a black trench coat that had been spotted around the village. They all knew then that Sasuke went to fight him. It was several days before they saw him again. His arm was badly wounded but he did not let the pain show in his face. He approached them with a serious face, all of them wondering what the outcome had been. Then Sasuke let out a small sigh, "It's over." He had finally accomplished his life's goal by killing the man who murdered his clan, murdered his own blood. The three of them felt a weight lifted off their shoulders for their dark eyed friend. Sasuke was finally at peace.

Naruto shook his head recalling that day and glanced over at the quiet face. A small grin was now apparent on his pale features. _Yes, Sasuke, now you can enjoy life._

Naruto shot his fist in the air startling the others out of their quiet thoughts, "I've got dibs on Kakashi-sensei for the first fight!! He's an old man now; I bet I can beat him in five minutes! Better yet, I'll tie one hand behind my back to give him the advantage! Ha Hah!!"

"I wouldn't be so sure, baka" Sasuke's cool voice interrupted Naruto's jubilant image of Kakashi's face down in the dirt as he towered over him with his foot on his head.

"Hmmph! I've been doing nothing but working hard all these years, as you can see" He flashed his muscular arm at Sasuke's doubtful face. "And all he's been doing is lying around reading those naughty novels."

"Kakashi's got more tricks up his sleeve than you'll ever know...he can still beat you...I can still beat you," his last words sent that old rivalry anger back through Naruto. He gritted his teeth and glared at the smirking face.

"SASUKE!!!"

"Hey look, I see the village!" Lee cut him off, pointing ahead. All of them stopped to look down the hill.

A crowd of people could be seen gathered in front of the Hokage's quarters.

"Mendoukusai na, they're going to have a celebration for us," Shikamaru frowned. He hated being the center of attention at things like this. _I'll have to give a report on how everything went._ He had to go through this when they appointed him Jounin leader of this mission six years ago. The paperwork was going to start up again, that was the worst part of the job. _I guess it can't be helped._

"Well, team...Shall we?" Shikamaru commenced by slipping his vest back on. The others nodded and they descended the road to the Village of Konoha.

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A/N: Thanks to clicke for catching my mistake in the second paragraph of having two different village names. Oooops!! : /


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 

Konohamaru spied them first. He had been hiding in the tree for most of the afternoon, waiting for his blonde haired friend to finally return. His eyes widened at the sight of the tall, slender Naruto. _Geez, he got big!_ _But, will he be ready for a secret ambush!!_ And with that thought, Konohamaru, leapt from the branch and proceeded to tackle the ninja. Naruto looked up and saw an unfamiliar figure headed for him, he immediately took a step back and the young teen missed his target, tumbling to the ground.

"Hey kid, are you trying to spoil our grand entrance?!" Naruto questioned the invader, slightly annoyed.

"Hah! Of course! I knew that you would be able to sense my presence. You are still very sharp....Boss."

"Huh?"

Then the boy looked back as he crouched on the ground, grinning at his confused older friend. Naruto's eyes got big as he finally recognized who it was.

"KONOHAMARU!!!" He grabbed the boy's arm and helped him to his feet. Holding him at arms' length he took a good look at the teen. "Geez, you've grown! I didn't know who it was jumping out of the trees like a lunatic, but I should have expected that from you," Naruto said slapping him on the back. "How've you been? Wait! A Chuunin vest?! You mean to tell me you're a Chuunin now?!"

The Konohamaru nodded, his eyes shining brightly. "Yeah, you should have seen the guy I had to fight in the final matches. He was bigger than you! No, more like bigger than Kakashi-sensei! Actually, he was as big as the Nine-tails!!"

"As big as the Nine-tails, eh?" Naruto glanced over at Shikamaru who smiled at the boy's exaggeration.

"Well, you'll have to tell me all about it over a hot bowl of ramen." He slung his arm over Konohamaru's shoulders as they approached the cheering crowd.

The Hokage stood in front with Kakashi, Asuma, and Gai off to the side.

"Welcome back, boys..." The silver haired sensei smiled beneath his mask. He looked over his former students. _Hmmm...Naruto's finally taller than Sasuke, or maybe it's his longer hair that makes him look taller,_ Kakashi mused to himself. _He also bears a striking resemblance to The Fourth._

"SENSEI!!!" Lee's voice broke through the noise. He ran to his idol in green who was waiting with open arms.

"My how you've grown," Gai chuckled. "You're taller than me now, and stronger no doubt. I'm proud to see that my student grew up to be quite a man." Lee beamed with pride.

Naruto trotted over to Iruka. "Hey, Iruka-sensei, when are you going to treat me to some ramen at Ichiraku?" The man gawked at his former student. "NARUTO!! I haven't seen you in six years and the first words out of your mouth are "treat me to ramen"!!?!?" Then his eyes softened, "Of course I will, first thing after the celebration. It's good to see you again, Naruto."

Sasuke looked around at the crowd and gave a slight smile at the joyous faces. He almost jumped as a hand clamped down on his shoulder. _Kakashi-sensei._

"So....Sasuke..." he tapped the sword strapped to the Uchiha's back, "You conquered the beast?"

Sasuke turned to look at the masked ninja. "Annihilated him," he said with a grin.

"Oh...? But I see he put up a bit of a fight," the sharp Jounin motioned to the fading scars on Sasuke's arm.

"Yeah," Sasuke touched his arm, his smile fading. "When did you find out?"

"Oh, word travels fast when it comes to the fall of the legendary Uchiha clan member. I knew the day after it happened."

"I see." Sasuke eyed him. "So, you haven't changed much. Naruto already claimed the first fight with you."

"Did he?" Kakashi looked over at the blonde who was sharing a laugh with Jiraiya whom he had managed to track down in the crowd. "It will be harder to beat me than he expects."

"That's what I told him. But _I_ won't have any problem," Sasuke flashed a sly grin at the older man.

"Don't forget who taught you..." The Jounin lazily replied.

"Shikamaru..." The familiar hand slapped his back. "What did ya do with yourself for six years? I'm pleased to see you brought everyone back in one piece."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Please, Asuma-sensei, you know we built one of the best ninja villages out there. Only the best can train others to become great ninjas."

"Is that so?" He laughed. "Well, before you praise yourself anymore, take a look over there..." Asuma nodded to a group of girls approaching the crowd. Shikamaru's eyes fell upon one particular blonde girl who was searching the sea of faces.

"Ino..." he whispered to himself. He watched her from a distance taking in the sight. Her light blonde hair, in its signature ponytail, stretched beyond her slim waist. Her eyes were the color he looked for everyday, sky blue. Her figure had totally changed. She had grown taller, more curvaceous, and more irresistible. _Damn, time treated her good._ _Too good. Unbelievably good. What am I doing staring at her, go over and greet her, Shikamaru._ He swallowed nervously and began to push his way through the crowd.

He watched her as she arched her feet to peer over top of the crowds. She placed a hand above her eyes to shield the sunlight. He took in her angelic appearance, lapping it up like a dog that hasn't had a drink in days. A trickle of blood began to flow through his nose and he quickly brought his hand up to stifle his embarrassing reaction. _Geez...not now. _Regaining his composure he pushed forward again. This time her gaze swiveled in his direction and she recognized his familiar face. A broad smile spread across her features as she rushed over to meet him.

"Shikamaru!!" she wrapped her arms around him, embracing him tightly. His urge to kiss her grew stronger and he cupped her face in his hands, studying her eyes which had begun to collect tears of happiness.

"It's so good to see you again, Ino," he spoke softly. "This moment was worth the wait."

"Just as long as you came back to me I would have kept waiting," she replied. Shikamaru smiled and brought her lips to his, picking up where they had left off six years ago.

Sakura ran her fingers through her long pink hair. _Where is he?_ She scanned the crowd for her childhood crush. Uchiha Sasuke was leaning against a wall away from the excitement of the villagers. Sakura rushed over to him. He saw her coming and smiled slightly, pushing himself away from the wall to accept the hug that he knew was coming.

"Sakura? You look quite different," he observed.

"You too, Sasuke-kun!" Her arms engulfed him as he chuckled to himself. _Some things will never change._

"So much has happened here," she continued, still holding her embrace, "And you all look so much stronger..." She trailed off as another familiar form caught her eye a short distance away. _Is that Naruto?!?_ Naruto, her teammate from the Chuunin exam training, was engaged in a conversation with Jiraiya. He was no longer the short brat that always had a taunting look on his face. _This_ Naruto was tall, lean and brandished hard earned muscles across his tanned skin. _This_ Naruto whose eyes seemed bluer than before had an extremely handsome smile and a deep laugh that filled her ears. His blonde hair hung down across his eyes. She watched as he joked with the legendary Sannin, fitting right it with everybody after their long absence.

Sasuke noticed the enthusiasm of her hug faded away and her arms dropped down by her sides again. _Wha?_ He looked at her eyes which took on a glazed, dreamy look, staring at something past him. A blush crept on her cheeks.

Naruto glanced away from his conversation and saw Sakura standing next to Sasuke. His heart skipped a beat and he drifted away from Jiraiya who was enjoying their conversation about his close-call peeping escapades. Naruto felt himself drawn to the attractive girl who seemed to be blushing at him as he approached.

"Sakura-cha—er uh...I mean, Sakura," he said correcting himself, for her voluptuous curves no longer made her a –chan. "Sakura, it's good to see you that you are well. May I have a hug?" He asked politely, not sure if she still held resentment for him from their younger days.

"Of course," she said breathlessly. A smile came over Naruto and he gave her a warm hug. With the pink-haired girl in his arms he stole a glance over at Sasuke and flashed him a wide grin, then closed his eyes and mouthed an overly dramatic, _Oooh yeah!_

"In your dreams..." Sasuke scoffed.

"What?" Sakura pulled away and looked at Sasuke. Naruto's glare burned a hole in Sasuke's head.

Looking at Naruto he replied, "Nothing..."

"Oh. Well let's go find Ino and Shikamaru!" She grabbed their hands and led them away.

Lee watched Sakura lead them away. _Sakura turned out just the way I thought she would, beautiful._ He remembered back when he had liked the Sasuke-crazed girl. _It seems that girl's affection may have averted to someone new_, he thought to himself. _Naruto's giving Sasuke a run for his money. _

Lee felt a tug on his hair that was pulled back. "I almost didn't recognize you, Lee," a female voice said from behind him. Surprised he turned around to the smiling face of Ten Ten.

"Oh!? Ten Ten!" Lee's eyes lit up. "Wow! It's great to see you! Really great!" He smiled sweetly, and then his eyes traveled down her body. "Uhh..." he blushed self-consciously and shut his eyes.

Ten Ten peered up at him, "What, Lee?"

"Ten Ten..." Lee started, his eyes remaining closed, "Please forgive me if I offend you, but..." He opened his eyes and looked into hers, "You look _really_ good."

Ten Ten blushed at Lee's bold statement. "You look good too, Lee. I like how you grew your hair out," she twirled the long black hair around her fingers.

"I...uhh....yeah...thanks," he stuttered on his words. _Man, I never thought about Ten Ten as any more than a teammate, but now she's like a...woman. And I'm finding myself attracted to her, more than just a friend. But how do I know if she has a boyfriend already... _"Ten Ten, I need to know..." Lee spoke up.

"Yes?" An amused look spread across her face.

"Are you...Are you currently in a relationship with anyone?"

Ten Ten laughed. "What's this all of a sudden?" She looked at Lee's earnest expression. "Well, no, I'm not seeing anyone. Why do you ask?"

Lee smiled and took her hand, "I'm glad."

The crowd finally dwindled down so that only the newcomers remained with their senseis. Kakashi slapped Naruto and Sasuke on the back and leaned in between them. Asuma and Gai did the same with Shikamaru and Lee.

"Well..." the copy ninja spoke, "What do you boys intend to do with yourselves now that you're back?"

"Umm...I'm not sure yet," Naruto replied. "I was thinking about getting some ramen—" Kakashi cut him off.

"Let me answer that for you...tonight you will be indulging in some of the finer things in life. Ahh...shall we call it a reward for your years of hard work and service to the Village. We..." he nodded toward Asuma and Gai, "...have rented out the Ichi Ichi bar for you guys to celebrate tonight."

"Wow, Kakashi-sensei, really?" Naruto's smile got wider.

"Yes, _sake_ is on the house. We've invited a few of your old friends, and feel free to bring anyone else that you may want to share your company with." Images of Sakura, Ten Ten, and Ino flashed through the boys' minds.

Kakashi knew the females would be attending the party. "Now...I don't want to see an abundance of little Konoha ninjas nine months from now," Kakashi half-joked as he eyed the boys.

Naruto, Shikamaru, and Sasuke all smirked at each other and moaned a silent _Oooh yeah!!!_, smacking the air as if they were in a bedroom with a girl at that moment.

"That may be harder for some of us," Lee said dryly looking over at the others who were stilling amusing themselves beside him.

"Hmph!! Whatever, Lee," Naruto called out. "I saw you hitting on Ten Ten the minute we entered this village. _You're_ the one who will have to restrain himself. I bet you can't wait to be alone with her," the blonde teased. "_Ooh, Ten Ten...it's been a long six years and you look SO hot tonight_—"he was cut off from his impression of Lee by a swift fist that caught him in the side.

"It's not like that," Lee said curtly.

"Geez! I was just kidding," Naruto said rubbing his side. "We know you're Mister Innocent, I apologize."

"Well, at any rate," Kakashi continued, "just have a good time tonight, since it will be short-lived. The Hokage will be assigning new missions for you next week."

A chorus of groans came forth from the ninjas as they turned to head for their homes.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Naruto sipped the last of his ramen and placed the bowl down on the counter. He graciously thanked Iruka again for the treat before leaving his favorite spot to head down to the bar. The sun had already set and a light breeze ruffled his blonde hair. He spotted two figures coming down an adjacent street and recognized them to be his comrades, Sasuke and Shikamaru. Waving to them the boys waited for Naruto to catch up.

"Dressed to impress, Sasuke?" he asked surveying the tight black sleeveless shirt that revealed the Uchiha's taught muscles.

"Maybe..." was the indifferent response.

"Where's Ino?"

"Ahh...she said she was going to come with Sakura," Shikamaru replied.

"Mmmm...Sakura," Naruto cooed. "I knew she'd finally come around, I mean who can resist a blonde?"

Sasuke slapped him upside the head. "Yeah, a dumb blonde."

"SASUKE!!"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. _Tck, why is it that as soon as we come back here those two still act as if they never grew up._ Lee appeared beside him, distracting the two rivals.

"Oi, Lee, did you ever find Neji?" Shikamaru asked looking at the tall ninja.

Flames appeared in his eyes. "No. He must be avoiding me. Avoiding the challenge I have been waiting to make to him. A fight to test our new strength, as I'm sure he has become much stronger like myself..." Lee trailed off as they approached the entrance to the bar. The doors suddenly swung open and a tall pale figure leaned out, gripping the door for support. In his raised fist he gripped four frosted sake mugs. His long dark hair hung matted in dreadlocks. His face was flushed from alcohol and a lazy smile crept on his features as he turned his white eyes upward in the direction of the ninjas.

"WELCOME TO MY HUMBLE ABODE!!" He bowed slightly and swept his free hand across the threshold of the bar, beckoning that they enter.

"Neji????" Lee stood unable to believe the scene before him. "Hyuuga Neji????"

"YES!!! LEE!!! We finally meet again!" He thrusted his fist holding the drinks into the air, sake sloshed out onto the ground.

"Neji?? What happened to you?" Lee was in shock.

"I'll tell you all about my life over a drink," he extended a mug to Lee. "Anyways, men....let's get this party started!!" The remaining mugs were distributed and Neji led the parade into the bar.

Chouji was conversing with Kiba, but turned to see who had entered. "Hey, look..." he nudged Kiba who looked over at the door.

Kiba flashed his canine grin, "So, the posse is finally here."

Shino also glanced up from his drink upon their entrance. The group made their way over to sit with their old friends and ordered another round of sake.

"Are you sure we're going the right way?"

"Of course.....there's only one road that leads to Konoha. Don't doubt me, little brother."

The pale eyes narrowed to peer ahead into the darkness. Gaara glanced back at his sister wondering why he even bothered to accept the invitation to come back to this village. _It's not like we're good friends with anyone here._

"There....those faces carved into the rock are hard to forget." The sandy-haired ninja crossed her arms and looked over at the quiet face. "Gaara..." she sighed, "...try to forget the past. The people here will treat us good."

"Perhaps..." was all she got out of him.

"Hinata, you look cute," the shy girl blushed at Sakura's compliment. "I'm glad you decided to come along with us, you too Ten Ten."

"Yeah, the party will be a lot of fun," Ino remarked. "So will _after_ the party...." she added thinking of one particular person.

"You better tell me the details afterwards," the pink-haired girl chided.

"Hmmm...I may not be able to...they might be X-rated."

"Wha?! Ino!!"

"I'm kidding...I'm kidding," she laughed. "I will make Shikamaru behave himself."

"I'm not worried about him."

"Whatever." She punched her friend lightly on the arm.

They neared the Ichi Ichi bar, completing a few last clothing and hair adjustments. Then Sakura and Ino put on their best flirty smiles which complimented their short, revealing dresses and pushed their way through the doors followed by Hinata and Ten Ten.

Naruto happened to glance over at the doors just as the girls walked in. The sight made him choke on his sake. Sasuke, Shikamaru and Lee looked over at their gawking friend before being swept away by the beautiful sight of the four females. All of them turned away quickly to stifle their bloody noses. Kiba and Chouji snorted out laughter at their reaction. Shino actually looked amused. Sure while the four ninjas were away in Rock there were girls. And yes, they had just seen these girls of Konoha a few hours earlier when they arrived. But not looking like they did now. All that acreage of visible leg and cleavage was for them. Naruto had to blink several times to guarantee he wasn't hallucinating. Sasuke remained cool and turned back to his drink, fighting his desire to stare for the rest of his life. Shikamaru had already left his seat and was at Ino's side. Lee was having trouble controlling himself before Ten Ten came over.

Shikamaru led Ino away to a more private booth. He sat down and she settled herself into his lap, snatching his drink in the process. He watched his sake disappear down her throat. She let out a long sigh when she finished. He smiled at the foam that remained on her lips. "Here, let me clean that off for you..." he said bringing her face to his to commence the kissing games.

Before the girls arrived, Neji was attempting to give Naruto and Sasuke a rundown of the basics: which seat he sat in when he had his first drink, which bathroom stall he threw up in after consuming too many drinks, which type of shot glass he preferred when drinking alone as opposed to when he wasn't drinking alone (which wasn't very often), which kind of sake tasted best with rice balls, which—Neji's train of thought was interrupted when he caught sight of Hinata.

"HINATA!!" Came the drunken cry.

Hinata froze and almost turned around to go back out through the doors, but Sakura caught her arm. "Don't worry; I'll take care of him."

Neji stumbled over to them. "Hey, Hinata...I didn't know you were coming tonight. Actually, I mean how could you stay away, you must have known I was here, huh? You must have a hard time controlling yourself around me and my handsomeness."

"Neji...good to see you...and that you made it," Sakura lied. "I see you've been here a while already."

"Yeah, well I wanted to be sure I was ready for the BIG party," he drained the mug he was holding.

"Grrreaat....Well anyways could you go get us something to drink, Neji?"

"Well, sure....anything for Hinata," He gave her a lazy-eyed smile and pointed his finger at her nose. "Don't you go anywhere, okay?"

"Whatever, Neji," Hinata said with an annoyed tone as he left.

"Come on, let's go hang out with Naruto and Sasuke," Sakura took Hinata by the hand and led her over to the bar. _Naruto is looking especially nice, _the pink-haired girl thought to herself.

"Hey guys!" Sakura leaned in between them, taking in the fresh smell of their cologne. She ruffled Naruto's hair and he flashed her a wide grin. She knew better than to touch Sasuke's. "When did you guys get here?"

"Not long ago. How's it going, Hinata? Come sit down," Naruto patted the seat next to him. "Sakura, you can sit here if you want," he patted his lap. Sakura's green eyes widened as she looked down at the enticing seat, Naruto couldn't help but laugh. "I'm kidding, wait here a second," but Sasuke had beaten him to the punch by pulling up an extra chair between them.

"Here, Sakura, this seat suits you better," Sasuke smoothly replied. Another glare hit Sasuke in the head.

"Yeah...I...uhh...was about to get you a chair..." Naruto trailed off feeling like a fool. _What is he trying to do here? Win her back?_

Sakura slid into the chair and flashed Hinata a sideways smile. Hinata just shrugged.

"HERE'S YOUR DRINK, HINATA!!" All four cringed at his loud announcement.

"Geez, Neji, we're not deaf here," Naruto glared at him.

Neji ignored him. "Hinata? You didn't save me a seat..." A look of sadness washed over his face as he peered down the row of occupied seats, setting the mug of sake in front of her.

"Neji, you don't stay in one spot long enough to sit down," Sakura quipped. "Is that mine?" She reached for the other drink in his hand.

"NO!!" He shielded the drink from her. "This is mine. Go get your own. Geez, Sakura is being a drink hog tonight."

"Neji, I haven't even had ONE yet."

Naruto jumped on the opportunity, "Here, Sakura you can have my—" But a black-haired someone was already one step ahead of him.

"Here, Sakura, I got you a fresh one."

Naruto wanted to scream at him. But settled for another glare. Sasuke just raised his eyebrows at him in response.

"Thank you, Sasuke," Sakura could hardly believe the cordiality that the Uchiha was displaying. _This is definitely a different Sasuke from six years ago._

Naruto moved in behind Sasuke, pretending to study the list of drinks the bar offered. Then he leaned in, hissing in Sasuke's ear, "What are you trying to do here? You better not lay a hand on her or I'll—"

"Take it easy," Sasuke cut him off coolly under his breath. He turned to Naruto, that sly smile appearing on his face, "I'm just messing with you....Don't worry, I'm not after Sakura."

Relief flooded Naruto as he gave a deep sigh. "Good....because if you were I'd have to—"

They heard the doors swing open. Naruto and Sasuke turned to see who had just entered. Naruto's eyes brightened.

"YOKOSO!!!!" He ran over and threw his arm around the red-haired sand ninja. "You came! And just in time for the party! How's it been, Gaara? Has life been treating you well?"

"Uh...yes...Thank you for the warm welcome." The rather quiet boy felt slightly uncomfortable at being treated with such affection.

"And Temari, I'm glad you were able to convince him to come...nice outfit," Naruto referred to the mere piece of cloth she had draped around her body.

"Thanks.........."

The bar had quieted down upon their entrance and several glances were shot in their direction. Even though Sand and Leaf were allies now, there was still a wave of uneasiness that came with the presence of the skilled sand ninja.

Naruto killed the tension, "So....can I get you guys a drink?" He lifted his own mug to illustrate which Temari promptly snatched out of his hand. Naruto watched, bewildered, as she chugged the remaining alcohol. She wiped a hand across her lips and set the empty glass on a table. "I see this isn't new to you," he remarked.

"Thanks....I needed that," she coolly replied. She scanned the crowd and became fixated on one particular ninja who had moved over to the far corner of the bar. "Enjoy yourself, Gaara..." she said as she left them, drifting over toward the figure.

"Will she be alright?" Naruto pondered.

"Yeah...she's always like that," Gaara answered.

"You mean...I mean...she seems kind of...I dunno...seductive or something," Naruto tried to figure.

"Hmph..." the dark-ringed eyes turned to Naruto, "Give her a couple of hours..."

"Heheh..." Naruto was unsure of how to respond to that, "Well, let's go over to the bar..."

They made their way over to the counter to order some more sake, passing by Sakura and Hinata. Sakura was engaged in telling Hinata all about a mission she completed last week. Gaara studied the quiet pale girl as he walked.

At some point in Sakura's conversation Hinata sensed that she was being watched. She looked up and was immediately locked into the passing sand ninja's stern yet mysterious eyes. _Gaara...._ His eyes, which once were saturated with death and hatred, had now an almost questioning expression. She felt beckoned to stare deeply into them to see if she could unearth the thoughts that flowed through his mind.

Gaara felt reality fading away. The voices around him became blurred and indistinguishable. The only thing that was clear to him was the dark-haired girl that was staring back at him. _I seem to remember her from somewhere...where...where?_ He heard Naruto's voice prompting him to order. He dropped his gaze and made a selection.

The drinks were served and the blonde was eager to return to his seat next to Sakura. He brought Gaara over to the girls. "Gaara, you remember Haruno Sakura," he gestured to the smiling pink-haired girl, "And Hyuuga—"

"Hinata...." Gaara finished for him, his eyes tracing their way back to the shy girl. She got up and bowed politely to him, "Nice to see you again, Gaara-sama."

He noticed that a blush crept on her cheeks upon their introduction and that she tried to hide it by lowering her head.

"May I sit?" he placed a hand on the seat Naruto had occupied.

"Hai, please do," she requested shyly as he slid into the seat next to her.

Naruto plopped down where Sasuke had been sitting. Noticing his absence he looked around. Over in a corner of the bar he spotted his friend. Seated next to him was the female sand ninja, finishing off another drink. Her cloth wrap had slipped down low on one shoulder, revealing more of her slender back. Sasuke said something to her that made her laugh, where he followed up by releasing that familiar sly grin that Naruto had seen many times over the past year. The blonde gave a short laugh and shook his head, "I know what _that_ smile means...." he said aloud.

"What? What smile?" Sakura looked in the direction Naruto indicated. She saw Sasuke with Temari. "What do you mean '_that smile'_?"

Naruto turned back to her still grinning. "Well...how do I put this...Sasuke has changed."

"I knew that. He's a lot nicer than he used to be."

"No...you don't understand...he's _really_ changed. Ever since he killed Itachi, he's had a lot of free time on his hands...." Naruto looked at Sakura who still didn't seem to understand. "All of that effort he put into plotting revenge on his brother, he now uses it for, I guess you could call it...his new hobby." He paused to laugh, still unable to believe it himself, "His new hobby is women, Sakura. Sasuke is a sex fiend."

Sakura's jaw dropped.

"Isn't it funny!?" Naruto slapped his knee. "I get a kick out of it every time I think about it. I mean Sasuke! Uchiha Sasuke! A player! And I see that he has set his sight on Temari tonight, although she seems like the type who just might have the same expectations."

"However..." Naruto's voice took on a serious tone, "I thought he might have been after you earlier." He looked at her green eyes which were still wide as the new information sunk in. "Don't get me wrong, he's not a rapist or anything. It's just that he has this kind of irresistible demeanor about him that seems to drive women wild. It's like they can't get enough of him. I guess you saw that back when we were younger." He paused reflecting on her infatuation with the dark-haired boy. _Maybe she still has feelings for him...._

He felt Sakura place her hand on his own. She looked up at him, blushing, "I'm over him now...Those days are long gone. But now, I'm finding that I can't seem to keep my eyes off of you, Naruto."

His heart skipped a beat. He swallowed and turned slightly toward her so that their knees touched. "Sakura, not a day passed that I didn't think about you over there."

Six years ago those words would have landed him a punch in the face, but now they melted the pink-haired girl's heart. She reached up and touched his face, smiling sweetly at him. _Naruto, when did you become so genuine? I was a fool back then. _She looked into his blue eyes. _All of these years, those eyes have only yearned for me_, she thought as her fingers traveled up to his hair, her thumb brushing over his ear.

_Is this for real, or is this the alcohol taking effect?_ Naruto wondered, but didn't really care. Sakura was showing affection for him. _Oh yeah!!_ _A patient man will be rewarded._

"GAARA!! GAARA OF THE DESERT!!" Once again the village idiot succeeded in interrupting the peace.

Gaara caught the swift hand that was about to clamp down on his shoulder.

Sakura had turned around to face the Hyuuga, "Neji! What's with you!? Some of us are trying to have a nice conversation here." Neji's attempt at a displaying a serious face cracked as he burst into giggles.

"Hey, Sakura, did you know that Gaara was here?" he said in a loud whisper. Gaara rolled his eyes. "Hey, does he know that this party is an _invitation only_, because if he's causing a problem I can take care of him for ya...SABAKU KYUU!!! (desert coffin) HAHAH!! Good one..." Neji praised himself.

"Neji, I invited him," Naruto answered with annoyance. "Didn't you see them come in earlier?"

But Neji had already turned his attention back to Gaara who was trying his best to ignore the drunken ninja.

"So, Gaara of the Desert...if I may be so bold as to call you that...what brings you here to this gathering?" Neji leaned into his face. "You wouldn't be trying to hit on Hinata, would you?" His voice carried a hint of warning.

Gaara glanced over at the small girl who was looking anxious during the confrontation. His dark-ringed eyes narrowed slightly as they moved back to answer the demanding Hyuuga.

"No."

"Well, good, because she's already taken."

"Fine."

"No, she's not! Neji stop your wishful thinking," Sakura interrupted. She turned to explain to Gaara, "Neji here, for whatever reason, is crazy about his cousin. His rude and inappropriate behavior becomes even worse when he starts drinking."

"HEY! What's wrong with a guy trying to get a little pleasure from time to time, eh Hinata?" He nudged her with his elbow and flashed her a grin.

"Pleasure yourself with this..." Gaara said in an even tone pushing his mug of sake into Neji's hand and left the bar, exiting through the doors to seek solitude.

"Baka," Neji scoffed before guzzling the liquid.

"You're the idiot, Neji," Hinata mumbled to herself.

"You know, Hinata," Neji continued, slumping into Gaara's seat, his hand sliding across the back of her chair. "Ever since my dad died I've had the responsibility of carrying on the branch family. I know he would want me to find someone with the right..." He waved his hand casually in the air as he eyed her chest, "...the right qualifications. I was thinking that maybe now is the time for the head and branch families to come together again..." He reached for her hand but she jerked it away.

"No way, Neji..." Hinata said through thin lips.

"Why not???" He whined. "Why not, toniiiight???"

Hinata gave him a disgusted look. She slid off her seat and disappeared through the doors to apologize to Gaara.

The dreadlocked Hyuuga just shrugged, spying the other Konoha ninjas, "Chou-HO-jiii!!! Kiiiiiiba!!! RUFF!! RUFF!!"

Naruto excused himself from Sakura's company to pay a visit to the restroom. The ever-observant Sasuke watched him go in. Temari was up getting another drink, so Sasuke decided to check on Naruto's status with Sakura.

The blonde was standing in front of the sink splashing water on his face when Sasuke entered. He ran his wet hands through his spiky hair. Sasuke leaned up against the wall, watching him. "Sooo.....?"

"Man, Sakura is _hot_!" Naruto exclaimed checking his appearance in the mirror. "I think she was about to kiss me back there if idiot Neji hadn't interrupted."

"You mean to tell me that you would have wanted your first kiss with Sakura to have been in a bar with a bunch of drunken idiots watching?"

"Wellll...maybe you're right...it's not the best atmosphere....it should be someplace more romantic like outside under the moonlight, where the stars can reflect her love for me in her eyes. I'd have her cute face cupped in my hands—"

"Don't you mean her chest..."

"NO!!! .....That part would come after I kissed her..." He manifested a wide grin to the mirror.

"Is that so?" Sasuke had doubt written on his face. He paused to think over the situation. "You know, Sakura _is_ attractive. She's the aggressive type that could probably have most any guy she wanted...."

Naruto turned his attention away from his reflection to glance over at him. _Where is he going with this? _"Oi, what do you mean, Sasuke?"

"Sure, she was innocent back then, but how do you know that over time and maturity she didn't turn out to be like me or something?" The way he grinned when he said it bothered Naruto. _Sakura-chan like Sasuke????_ _Kami, I hope not._

"Nah...I don't think she's like that...she's probably still a virgin." He tried to brush away the former thought.

Sasuke watched him deal with the possibility. "I can just imagine her in bed. I bet she's wild. Pink hair cascading down over her bare shoulders—"

"YAMERO!!!"

"You know....I could find out for you, I mean if she's still a virgin," he offered. "Just give me one hour alone with her...."

"NO WAY!!"

The black-haired ninja laughed, "I'm kidding...not that way, just let me go ask her a few questions."

"Hmph! I don't care to know..." Naruto crossed his arms and turned his head away from the idea.

"I have a one hundred percent accuracy rate on these things."

The blue eyes slanted at him skeptically, "Really?"

"Yep. I have a certain method I use to find out these kinds of things. I mean even _I_ want to know what I'm getting myself into....sometimes."

"Weeelllll...OKAY. But hurry back."

"No problem." Sasuke blazed out of the restroom.

Naruto began to pace back and forth in front of the mirrors. _Geez...is this something I even want to know? I mean if Sakura is like Sasuke, can I put that behind me? Maybe that's why she is being nice to me! She just wants to sleep with me!_ _I knew it!_ He punched the wall angrily at his conclusion. He lowered his fist and looked over at his reflection in the mirror; the fox-like marks on his face had darkened slightly. _Calm down...Naruto; you don't know that for certain. But, why would sleeping with Sakura be a bad thing???_ He grinned at himself in the mirror and drifted back to Sasuke's tempting musing of her in bed, tossing her long pink-hair back over her bare— "NO!! NO!! NO!!" Naruto shook his head. _He's trying to suck me into his world._ He began to pace again. _What's taking him so long? A couple of questions should only take a few minutes, unless.....unless he got distracted..._ "SASUKE!!" Naruto headed for the door prepared to punch in Sasuke's suave face, but the door opened just before he reached it.

The Uchiha had returned.

"Na! Na! What did you find out!?!" The blonde was practically bouncing off the walls.

Sasuke waited a few seconds before pronouncing his discovery.

"Naruto....she's totally a virgin."

"Whew!!!! Thank, Kami!!" He clasped his hands together. "Na, Sasuke, what did you ask her?"

"What did I ask her?" Sasuke repeated, thinking back to the mission.

She was sitting alone, waiting for her new obsession to return. Two empty mugs sat in front of her. _What's taking him so long? Guys aren't ones to waste a lot of time in the bathroom._ She motioned the bartender for another drink.

Sasuke wound his way around tables to approach her from behind. He picked up a full shot glass en route.

"Sakura." He placed a hand on her back as he sat down beside her.

"Eh?" She turned around to face Sasuke's dark eyes. _Sex fiend...sex fiend...sex fiend..._

"Oh? Sasuke....eheheheh...how's it going? Are you enjoying everything?" She wondered if he knew that she knew about him. _Stop thinking about it. He's still just Sasuke._

"Yes."

"Ohhh...good. Umm...have you seen Naruto?"

"Sakura." He looked at her with persistent eyes.

"Uhhh...yes???"

"Are you a still a virgin?"

"What!?"

"Answer my question as an honorable shinobi."

"Ummm...yes, actually I am. I decided that I'm going to wait until I find the right guy. I know that probably sounds silly to you—"she cut herself off, laughing nervously........._that probably sounds silly to you, Sasuke the sex fiend, _she mocked herself_. STOP!!!_

"Okay, that's all." He swallowed the alcohol in the glass and set it down with a sigh of satisfaction.

"What? Why did you want to know that?"

He turned to her, "Huh? Oh, not me. Naruto wanted to know."

"What!!??"

"He is too, in case you were wondering..."

Sakura just sat there with her mouth open in disbelief at their conversation. _So, he's still a virgin._

Sasuke disinterestedly scanned the crowd at the bar and leaned back in his seat. He watched the second hand tick away on the clock mounted on the wall. After a minute he stood up and rubbed the back of his neck, then decided to report back to his eagerly awaiting friend.

_That was easy..._

Returning to the present, Sasuke smiled to himself and answered Naruto, "It's a trade secret that I can't tell you, my friend."

"Oooh...okay fine, just as long as you're right."

"Yeah, I'm right," Sasuke reassured him.

"Well, on that note you'll have to excuse me while I go work some more of my magic to further seduce her. After we leave here tonight she will be begging me to be her first." Naruto turned to leave.

"And when you get her, are you going to know what to do with her? Since when did you pick up seducing women, baka? You better leave that to the pros." The dark-haired ninja pushed past him out the doors. He looked over to his seat. "Ah...there she is...." Temari was perched on the bar stool that he had occupied earlier.

"Leaving me alone for such a long time? I could have been snatched up by someone else in your absence." She draped her leg over Sasuke's thigh after he sat down.

"You can't tear yourself away from me. I've got you hooked." He ran his hand up her mesh stockings.

"Are you sure it's not the other way around?"

Sasuke shrugged casually, "You _may_ have caught my attention..."

"I know your type. You're the kind of guy who will sleep with a girl one night and not give her the time of day the next...."

"Wha??? That's not true..." he lied. "You don't even know me."

"HEY, SASUKE!!! UCHIHA SASUKE!!!" Neji came to invade their space. "Hey, man, I heard about the Uchiha....the legendary Uchiha."

"Well, I wouldn't consider myself legendary...."

"No, man, not you....your _Uchiha_...." Neji began to giggle. "COME ON, SASUKE!!! Why don't you whip it out! Show us your UCHIHA!!! WOOOOO!!!" He started pelvic-thrusting the air. "Yeah, man, I heard it was HUUUGE!"

"Shut up, baka."

The word 'huge' caught Temari's attention and she raised an eyebrow at Sasuke.

"UNLEASH THE UCHIHA!!! WOOOO!!!"

Sasuke just rolled his eyes and gave Neji his drink to stop his babbling.

"Hey, thanks, man!" The Hyuuga engrossed himself in the sake and left.

"Forget what that idiot said—" But no sooner had the words left his mouth when she grabbed him and flung him onto the adjacent pool table.

Temari straddled his sprawled body, leaning down in his face.

Her lips brushed against his ear as she whispered, "When do _I_ get to see this _Uchiha_?"

Sasuke was totally speechless at her sudden action, but quickly found his voice as that old familiar aroused feeling swept over his body. He wanted her now, but glanced at the bartender who was frowning at their antics on the table.

"All in good time....." He reluctantly slid himself out from under her. Temari gave him a disappointed look.

"Hey, Sasuke!" Naruto yelled across the bar. "Me and Sakura are headed out. We're going to crash at your place tonight." He flashed Sasuke a wide grin and gave him the thumbs up.

"Hey! Stay out of my bedroom!" The dark-haired ninja yelled back. Turning to Temari, "I'll be needing it later..." He slid a hand under her cloth and around her waist.

"Hmmph...you'll be begging for it later..." she said before chugging down another glass.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 

Hinata wandered the streets in search of Gaara. The night chill sent shivers down her back as she wrapped her arms around herself for warmth. Her light dress blew against her form with the passing breeze. _Gaara-sama, where did you go?_

She scanned the rooftops hoping the sand ninja had only left to find a quiet place and not to go back home. _Neji's always being a burden to me,_ the girl thought with a frown. It was getting late and she decided to abandon her search and go home. _Maybe he doesn't want to be found._

She looked up at the moon and a silhouette of a seated figure caught her eye. _He wasn't there a minute ago_

Hinata lifted herself to the roof and stood timidly watching the solitary ninja. She leaned over and slipped off her sandals before walking over to him.

"Gaara-sama..."

He looked up at her with solemn eyes. "Please, just 'Gaara' is fine."

"Oh...ah...Gaara..." she took a step closer and kneeled down beside him. "I don't mean to bother you...I...uh...just thought you looked lonely..."

Her words felt foreign to him. Someone whom he barely knew was expressing compassion towards him. He looked down at her delicate hands that were clasped in her lap, fidgeting slightly. _What does she want?_

"I...uh...hope you can ignore what Neji said earlier. Please, forgive him."

"Yes. It is forgotten."

Hinata smiled with relief. "I'm glad."

A hint of amusement crossed Gaara's face. "Is that what you wanted to tell me after spending hours of looking for me?"

The girl lowered her head in embarrassment. "Uhh...yes...but...you were watching me?"

This time it was the sand ninja's turn to look away. "Well...maybe I happened to see you a few times..."

He smoothed the cloth wrapped around him and returned his eyes to her gaze. "You looked lonely too."

--------------------------

Lee glanced at the clock. The hands pointed a quarter past one. He and Ten Ten had been having a long conversation throughout the evening. She noticed that he looked tired as he rested his chin on his hand. It had been a long day for them, after all they had just returned to the village that afternoon.

A snore caught their attention and they turned to find Neji fast asleep at a nearby table. He was slumped over with his head resting on his folded arms.

"Do you think we better take him home?" Lee asked.

"Yeah, usually Kiba and Chouji end up carrying him back to the Hyuuga's place, but it looks like they've all left," she looked around the empty bar. Only Sasuke and Temari were still seated in the corner and Shikamaru and Ino's feet were visible from a booth.

"Alright, then" They stood up and walked over to Neji. Lee looked down, "I guess we each take an arm?"

"I guess..." Ten Ten nodded.

They helped Neji up to his feet. "Ok, Neji...we're gonna go home now." Lee tried to rouse the ninja to cooperate, but all he got was a mumbled response of "...Hinata?...."

"No no, no Hinata...we just need you to move your feet in a walking manner," Lee tried to explain.

"Huh???......"

"NEJI, MOVE YOUR FEET!" Ten Ten ordered.

"Okay...." The Hyuuga sleepily obliged and began walking with the support of the two sober ninjas. He glanced back at the bar they were leaving "....Hey, where are we going???......."

"We're going home," Lee answered.

The drunken eyes opened a little wider, "Lee, are you staying with me tonight?"

"Uhh...no, we're just taking you home."

"Lee's staying at my place tonight," Ten Ten decided for him. Lee's eyes widened.

"Lucky" Neji said under his breath before drifting off into partial sleepness.

Lee had to confirm what he thought he just heard. "I'm sorry...Ten Ten...Did you just say that _I_ am sleeping with you—I mean at your place tonight?"

"Yeah...the way I see it your place hasn't been touched by human existence for six years and I thought I would offer my place...it's cozy" She looked at his surprised expression. "That is if you want to..."

"Umm...yes, that would be great. Thank you for your kindness."

They continued on in silence, making slow progress with their load.

Lee stole a glance at Ten Ten as she stared ahead. The moonlight outlined her profile which he was still getting used to. He gave a short laugh.

"I still can't believe I'm doing this," he nodded at Neji. "My lifetime rival has drunken himself into a state of unconsciousness and I have to help carry him home...Never in a thousand years could I have imagined this."

Ten Ten sighed. "Yeah, I guess it was about a year ago now that Neji joined the Anbu and Gai-sensei threw a party for him, like they did for you guys tonight. Neji had never really drank before, I mean _drank_ drank. So we were all shocked at how he different he became throughout the night, which then led to his proceeding to remove all of his clothes and perform a strip show for us. Luckily, Chouji and Kiba hauled him out of the place before he was able to "unleash the Hyuuga's pride" as he put it. From time to time I would catch him at the bar, usually by himself...He still ranks high as a skilled ninja and when he's not drunk he's just like his old self: silent and spiteful. It's like he's gone from one extreme to another."

"Hmm...sounds kinda like some other spiteful dark-haired guy I know...But what about Neji's hair? Why the dreadlocks?????" He picked one of the locks up and let it fall in Neji's sleeping face.

"Yeah, I'm not sure where that came from. I think the Hyuuga's are still hoping it's just a phase he's going through," her laugh quickly faded at the thought of Neji's alter ego. She remembered a conversation she had with him several months ago. She caught up with him one evening as he was leaving the bar and curiousity got the best of her.

"Neji...why is it that you're like this now?"

The Huuyga had a puzzled look on his face. "Like what?????"

"You know....'Hey man, get me a drink' and all loud and crazy."

"Ohhh...well I realized that I needed to live a little. Be more social. Have some fun."

"Why the obsession with Hinata?"

"My feelings toward her are no business of yours."

"But, don't you see that you're kind of annoying?"

Neji scoffed. "I don't care...you think I'm putting on a show for you guys. Hah! I'm doing it for myself...helps ease the pain."

"But, before you always just dealt with the pain," Ten Ten was confused. That's what they had always been taught as ninjas. And alcohol was one of the three taboos anyways.

"Yeah...well the way I see it," he clamped a hand down on her shoulder. "The way I see it, it is the right way. All the best ninjas allow themselves to indulge. Take the legendary Sannins, minus the snake freak, Tsunade and Jiraiya both drink...a lot, and they are among the highest ninjas in Konoha—"

Ten Ten interrupted his speech, "But they're old now and have nothing better to do. Neji you're still young and drinking will interfere with your performance."

A firery spark sprang into his eyes as he grabbed her shirt and pulling her close to him so that her face was just inches in front of his. His fist trembled against her chest. Ten Ten noticed that his cheeks were no longer flushed as he spoke in a gruff whisper.

"I _will not_ let it interfere, Ten Ten. Don't misunderstand. I may appear to be a foolish idiot at times, but I am very aware of what is going on..." He decided to leave it at that and let her go. His quick change of character caught her off guard. It was like she saw a flash of his old self in that pale face.

The Huuyga cleared his throat and adjusted the sleeves of his shirt before adding, "Ninjas are masters of disguise, Ten Ten...keep that in mind the next you start talking about me..." The rosy color reappeared on his cheeks and his eyes became half-lidded. He turned to leave, and a drunken sway took over his gait. Her eyes widened at what he had suggested, all of this was an illusion???

This encounter replayed itself over and over through her mind as she and Lee neared the main house on the Hyuuga property, bringing her back to the present. Two maids greeted them at the door and quietly took Neji away to his chambers, but not before he shot a glare at Ten Ten, letting her know that he had been listening to their conversation. She coughed as a distraction and wondered why the hell he was taking this act so seriously. _Well I guess he wouldn't be Neji if he didn't take things seriously,_ she thought. She decided to forget it for the time being and turned her attention back to the attractive man in front of her. Ten Ten smiled up at him.

Lee spoke first. "Sooo...do you live with someone else? Sakura? Ino?"

"No...I live by myself. There's only one bedroom—"she stopped, embarrassed at what she just suggested. "But I have a couch."

"I see. And it's still okay that I stay there tonight?" he said gently.

"Yes...I want you to," she looked up at him, then away as a blush appeared on her cheeks.

Lee smiled at her and took her hand. He brought it to his lips, kissing it. "Then lead the way..."

---------------------------

Sakura stumbled as they left the bar. Naruto caught her arm and steadied her.

"Whoops! I guess I had a little more to drink than I realized," she laughed.

"Will you be able to make to Sasuke's?" he asked a little concerned.

"Oh, yeah. I'll be alright...as long as you're here," she added placing his arm around her.

They made their way to the Uchiha estates. The property stretched to the farthest corner of the Konoha village. The clan's symbol, though now faded, was still visible on the walls of old living quarters.

"I can't believe Sasuke still lives here. It's kinda creepy," Naruto said, commenting on its emptiness.

They went inside Sasuke's quarters. Apparently the Uchiha had returned earlier in the evening to clean the age that had set in. Bookshelves were dusted and the floors looked swept. The couch looked fresh and inviting.

Sakura stretched out on the couch while Naruto wandered around checking the place out.

"So, this is where Uchiha Sasuke grew up," she said, looking around the bare room. "He doesn't have much stuff."

"Yeah, except for his shrine of shurikens, kunais, and scrolls," Naruto called out from Sasuke's bedroom. "I guess he wanted to be prepared in case anyone tried to sneak up on him while he was asleep," he said coming out of the sit with me," Sakura called to him. He took off his sandals and walked over to where she was lying on the couch. She smiled at him as he peered down at the situation.

"Looks like there's no room for me here," the blonde said teasingly. "I guess I'll just have to make some." He scooped her up in his arms and sat down in her place, laughing at her bewildered look as she ended up in his lap.

"You could've just asked me to move," she teased back, stretching herself out on the couch again, her head resting on his thigh. Sakura's pink hair spilled out over the rest of his lap. Naruto picked up a strand and began twirling it around in his fingers. Her green eyes were fixated on him.

"Naruto..."

"Hmmm?"

"Why haven't you kissed me yet?"

Her face was twisted in thought as she tried to conclude why the blonde was holding back. After all, he had liked her his whole life and now she was finally beginning to realize the extent of his affection.

He looked down into her eyes. "Because...I'm waiting for the right moment."

"How will you know when that is? Maybe it's now..." Her pink lips beckoned him.

"I'll know when," His face was sincere. He brought a hand to her face and gently brushed his thumb across her lips. _I know you want to now, but that's the physical attraction that the alcohol has accentuated. I want our first kiss to be special and I want for us both to fully appreciate it._ "Maybe we should try to get some sleep, eh?"

"Yeah, I guess it is late..." By her tone he could tell she was content with his answer. "Can I sleep like this next to you?" She turned over on her side and snuggled into his lap.

"Sure..." He chuckled to himself as he began running his fingers through her hair.

"Mmmm...that feels good...you're going to put me to sleep," She said lazily, closing her eyes, soothed by his touch.

She thought about what Sasuke had told her about him being a virgin. _So he behaved himself while he was away and he really doesn't have any experience with girls, not that I'm one to talk. Although maybe I'm coming across kind of easy to him. Here we are spending the night together on his first day back. But it feels right to be with him! He's kind and sweet and handsome and I've got my head in his lap..._her eyes closed shut at that last thought. Naruto heard her breathing even out and he took his hand out of her hair and draped it across her waist.

"Sweet dreams, Sakura..." But the girl had already dosed off.

Naruto leaned his head back on the couch and waited for sleep to take over.

_The right moment...I'll be waiting..._

_-----------------------------_

"I'm ready to go." She whispered in his ear, giving him a sly smile.

Sasuke caught her meaning and finished his drink. He ran his hand down the sand ninja's arm and intertwined their fingers before leading her away.

He smacked Shikamaru's foot as he passed by the absorbed couple.

"Oi, we're leaving. See ya tomorrow," Sasuke informed him.

Shikamaru lazily looked up at the clock. "Tck, it's late." He looked around and noticed they were the only ones left at the bar.

Sasuke paused at the door before disappearing with an anxious Temari, "Oh, by the way, Sakura and Naruto are staying at my place tonight."

Ino looked up, "Oh, they are? That means I'll have the place to myself."

Shikamaru's eyes lit up as he realized what she just said. "What!? Then what are we still doing _here_? Let's go!!" He leapt to his feet pulling a giggling Ino with him as they raced off to her apartment.

_This burst of enthusiasm is quite out of character for Shikamaru_, Ino shook her head, smiling at the thought. _It seems as though all guys only have one thing on their minds sometimes_ They reached the door out of breath. Shikamaru's hand was poised on the door handle, waiting for Ino to unlock it. Instead she crossed her arms and looked at him.

"Who said I invited you to stay the night?" She raised a mischievous eyebrow.

A grin spread across his face as his eyes narrowed slightly. "I see...Then you'll have to put up with my whining all night long outside your window. But it doesn't really matter if you let me stay or not because I'll just sneak in after you fall asleep anyways."

"Oh, is that so? Well, I'll spare you all that trouble and allow you to 'accompany' me inside, since that sad little face of yours doesn't have anywhere else to go..." She said grabbing his chin and planting a kiss on his nose.

"Your attempt to resist me is failing miserably..." he pointed out.

"You're right..."

"And I'm going to make it become even more difficult once we walk through this door," he said running his hands down her sides as they backed into the apartment, their eyes never breaking away from each other.

"You're _so_ right..." She threw her arms around him and he picked her up, heading for a bedroom. "Mine's on the left..." she directed him.

He laid her down gently on the bed, trailing kisses down her neck in the darkness. His hands slid over her body, getting lost in her flesh. It surprised her how good the trained hands of a ninja could feel doing something so intimate.

She heard him kick off his shoes before he crawled all the way on the bed. He was positioned on his hands and knees, hovering over her. His lips paused over hers, ready to get serious.

Ino touched his lips. "Shikamaru...tell me what you want..." she whispered to him as she hooked a finger at the hem of his shirt, pulling it up to reveal his toned muscles. Her cool finger tips tickled his skin.

He thought for a moment then leaned in to kiss her. Many things raced through his mind as he replayed how he had envisioned their first night back together would play out. The possibilities were endless and the look in Ino's eye told him she was ready for anything. However, after his conscience descended upon his sexual fantasies, he came up with an alternative suggestion that he knew would truly feel good. Releasing her lips he answered, "I want you to massage me."

Ino laughed. "Really? A massage? And I thought I had you figured out."

"You can't figure me out," he lied. _Damn, it's like she can read minds_. He peeled off his shirt and stretched out on the bed beside her. His bare back waited while Ino just looked at him.

"You know...it will feel a lot better if you're totally naked," she suggested as she tugged at his pants.

"Huh?" He turned over on his side to stare back at her. He could see her smile in the darkness. "Well, if you insist..." _Sometimes her aggressiveness can be such a good thing..._He pulled off the rest of his clothing. "You better not take advantage of this naked ninja...To make it fair, maybe you should do the same."

"Not a problem," she replied as her dress slipped down her body onto the floor, followed by the rest of her garments.

"Hmmm...less work for me now," he said, making her giggle.

They stood facing each other in the dark room only able to see the other's form outlined by the moonlit window. His eyes strained in the darkness. Ino had taken her hair down. He noticed how the pale tresses cascaded well past her waist. _Man, I kinda wish she'd turn a light on_, he caught himself thinking.

"Just a massage?" She took several steps toward him and placed her hands on his chest, the tips of her fingers working into his muscles. He noticed as her touch continued to move lower down his body.

"Uh...yes...a good one...for now...Hey, stop trying to manipulate me," he teased, returning to his position on the bed. She could see he was struggling to fight his true desires by being a rational Jounin leader. But Ino didn't care about rationality at this point. He was back and they were together again. She wanted to make the most of their time alone before he might have to disappear again on another mission.

"Oh, Shikamaru, stop trying to do what's right and live a little!" she laughed, smacking his bare butt as she joined him on the bed.

"Ino?!" A brief wave of surprise washed over him with her smack before fading away as her words sunk in. A grin spread across his face as he spoke in a low voice, "That felt kinda good..." He reached out and pulled her closer.

"Well, when I'm finished with you, it will be my turn next," she said setting to her task at hand by working on his shoulders. "And, don't think that I waited six years to ask you for a massage..."

"Oh, boy...sounds like I need to prepare myself for the big work load that lies ahead," he joked before closing his eyes to imagine what his assertive blonde counterpart had in store for him.

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A/N: Sorry for the delay, I was having editorial issues. For those of you wondering what the deal is with Neji, let me explain. When I first started writing this story I had planned for Neji to be just a drunk, the comic relief in the plot. But after reading the Great Saiyaman's comment I thought: "Yeah, it's not really fair to Neji that I demean him like that...everybody else is close to character." So now Neji has a little mystery to him, where that is going I'm not sure yet, but his character will be resolved.

A big thank you to everyone who has enjoyed the story thus far, Chapter 5 shouldn't have such a delay, I just need to rewrite a few sections.

joryuu


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